AAA video games are the most famous games out there. They are put out by major studios, have budgets in the tens of millions of dollars, and require teams of hundreds to produce. But this is far from the only way video games are made.
Thousands of games are made by much smaller studios or even by individuals. These games, broadly referred to as "indie games," actually outnumber AAA games simply by definition. From studios like Supergiant Games and Extremely OK Games to solo developers, indie games are a great place to look when the latest AAA game just isn't cutting it.
10 A Greater Variety Of Genres
AAA games are bound by genre conventions, as they are built to appeal to a wide audience. But indie games tend to have a less restrictive mandate when it comes to the subject matter, so gamers looking for a very particular type of game will have a lot more options at their disposal. While mainstream developers release traditional fantasy and sci-fi games, indie developers produce games with titles like EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER: POWERED BY BLOOD.
9 Indie Games Tend To Be Much Cheaper
Video games are an expensive hobby. Gamers will need some kind of hardware, either a pricy console or a PC. If they want to play the latest AAA games, that PC will need to be pretty top of the line.
Then comes the cost of the game itself. AAA games often run about $60, or even more with DLCs or season passes. Indie games, on the other hand, often top out at around $30. Tons of games actually land closer to the $10-$20 range, and some even go for less than $5.
8 A Broader Field Is Better For The Industry
Most people can agree that monopolies are not productive or healthy for any industry. With recent major acquisitions in the video game industry paving the way for a further homogenized future, supporting indie games is one way to push back. The more schools of thought there are in video game design, the better games are as a whole. Video games have always been a fertile ground for innovation in storytelling, and this can only continue in a diverse field.
7 Players Have More Direct Developer Access
Since indie games often have much smaller audiences than AAA games, it can be much easier to interact directly with indie developers than their mainstream counterparts. Many indie studios or individuals have a presence on social media or dedicated Discord servers, allowing fans to interact with them in a more direct way. Additionally, they tend to be a lot more responsive to feedback about bugs or other issues, as they have fewer hoops to jump through.
6 Fairer Compensation And Worker Treatment
The treatment of video game developer staff has become a hot-button topic in recent years. Major studios' habit of enforcing a crunch culture to push games to release comes at the cost of workers' health and safety. Recent investigations into abuse and misconduct at Activision Blizzard horrified many fans. While buying from indie studios is not a guarantee that the game's creators are being treated and compensated fairly, it is much more likely than with a major studio.
5 Players Might Discover Hidden Gems
Most AAA games are very good. Considering their amazingly high budgets and the fact that talented creators tend to flock to large studios, this comes as no surprise. Indie games are a huge field, and it should be no surprise that quality will vary greatly.
But diving into the world of indie games gives players the opportunity to discover hidden gems with incredibly small audiences that perhaps they had never heard of. Wildly successful and popular games like Among Us and Minecraft are, or were in Minecraft's case, indie titles.
4 Each Purchase Makes A Difference
Video games are a massive industry. The recent acquisition of Activision by Microsoft for nearly $70 billion gives a small glimpse into the astonishing amount of money bouncing around. The $60 price tag on a AAA game is a drop in the bucket compared to the total revenue of these companies. Indie developers, on the other hand, really feel each purchase. Especially when considering tiny teams or individuals, every single payment is going to be going right to a person's wallet and making a much bigger difference in their life.
3 Some Players Prefer Shorter, Smaller Games
Some gamers prefer massive, sprawling games with the potential to fill hundreds or even thousands of hours. AAA games, with their massive budgets and development teams, are often able to fill this need.
But some players feel overwhelmed when starting down a game that will demand hundreds of hours of their lives. Many indie games are shorter, smaller experiences that can be wrapped in just a few hours. This is not a positive for every player, but many will find this appealing.
2 They Often Have Smaller, More Intimate Communities
One of the most fun things about jumping into a new video game is discovering the game's community. Connecting with like-minded individuals over a shared interest is one of life's greatest pleasures. But when it comes to the next major release that everyone is playing, it can be hard to find specific individuals to connect with. Indie games with small audiences give players a chance to really connect with their fellow fans, or sometimes even with the creators themselves.
1 There Is No Sacrifice In Quality
The biggest seeming hurdle in playing indie games is the quality. Surely games with larger budgets and teams will be better than cheaper games made by fewer people, right? But this simply isn't the case. While budget and workforce certainly can contribute to a game's quality, good games are made from good ideas. Award-winning indie titles like Hades, Disco Elysium, and Celeste demonstrate that playing indie games doesn't have to mean sacrificing quality.